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Studio cites Dirty tricks over ‘Baby’ line

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It emerged this week that the Hollywood studio, Lionsgate, has launched proceedings against a range of firms that have allegedly used a line from the 1987 hit film, Dirty Dancing, for promotional purposes. Rights to the movie – originally produced by Great American Films Ltd and Vestron – are currently in Lionsgate’s hands, and the studio has accused several firms of using star Patrick Swayze’s immortal line, ‘Nobody puts baby in a corner’, to advertise a range of baby products.

Lionsgate claims that the line is a trademark, and part of any IP associated with the film. Firms named in the lawsuit, filed at a Los Angeles District Court on 15 August, include Duck Duck Goose of Ohio, Lucky Lou Boutique of Indiana and the New York website, uncommongoods.com.

They are joined by a further dozen defendants to face allegations of trademark infringement (two counts); common law unfair competition and copyright infringement; and unfair competition as defined by California’s Business & Professions Code 17200.

The lawsuit’s wording implies that the companies have shown a certain naïveté by allegedly picking such a visible and memorable line to trade with. ‘The American Film Institute voted “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” as one of the top 100 most popular quotes from a motion picture’, says Lionsgate’s papers. ‘[The] Plaintiff markets and sells merchandise with the movie trademarks through approved licensees as part of the “Dirty Dancing” line of approved merchandise.’